Surrendering to the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 7) (13 page)

“No,” Rafe and Kai answered in unison.

After giving Kai a nod of approval, Rafe looked to his sister. “You’re not trained if something goes wrong. And the reality is, things could go very wrong if the hunters attack before we secure an alliance.”

Not liking how the males were teaming up against Jane, Nikki spoke up. “However, I’m sure once we strike an alliance, Jane can visit the Irish clan and find her latest story.”

Kai frowned. “Wait a second, I didn’t say she could go.”

Jane raised her brows. “Oh, really? If you’re there to protect me, I would think I’d be safe enough. Unless you’re going to admit to not being a good enough Protector.”

“It’s not about me, you bloody woman. It’s about your safety.”

Jane tapped her chin. “Then maybe I can find a way to go undercover. That’s worked well for me in the past.”

Kai shook his head. “Right, like the time I had to save your arse from those males in the pub.”

Rafe cleared his throat and all eyes went to him. “How about we revisit Jane’s request later? Because if you just outright deny her, she will get herself into trouble.”

“That’s not a flattering thing to say, Rafe,” Jane said with a frown.

“The truth hurts sometimes. Besides, it’s better than never.”

Kai blinked. “Since when are you so compromising when it comes to Jane?”

Nikki tried not to laugh at Kai’s surprise and succeeded, just barely.

Rafe shrugged. “Maybe I know my sister better than you do. Spend some time talking with her instead of shagging her, and you might find out more about her.”

Kai lunged toward Rafe with a growl, but Nikki moved in front of Rafe at the same time Jane moved in front of Kai. She was definitely going to have to chat with Rafe later about not provoking Kai, or they might be stuck with the worst assignments for the foreseeable future.

As it was, she needed to salvage the situation. Nikki wanted the Ireland assignment more than anything she’d wanted in a long while.

Looking between the two males, Nikki threaded her voice with dominance. “You two need to stop this. Yes, you’re both alpha. And yes, you both care for Jane. But if Rafe is going to live on Stonefire for any length of time, you need to cut the shit and learn to work together.”

Kai’s pupils flashed to slits and back. Nikki held her breath but didn’t back down.
 

With a grunt, Kai let out a breath. “Provided he doesn’t deliberately goad me, I will call a temporary truce. If for nothing else, to have him help keep tabs on Jane.”

Jane narrowed her eyes. “Kai Sutherland—”

Rafe cut his sister off. “Allow Nikki to keep working until she physically can’t do it anymore, and we have a deal.”

Her human squeezed Nikki’s hand, and something shifted in her chest. Maybe human males were better when it came to pregnant females and freedom.

Kai put out a hand and Rafe took it. After shaking, Kai dropped his arm. “Let me pitch this to Bram today. If he gives the green light and Killian agrees to meet you, you two can prep and leave in a few days. I’ll let you know as soon as possible.” Kai put an arm around Jane’s shoulder and hugged her close. “Until then, you two have another job. Melanie and Tristan’s twins are having their first birthday celebration tomorrow. I wasn’t sure if you’d be done with the frenzy or not. But since you are, I want you two to be a part of the security detail.”

Melanie Hall-MacLeod was a former sacrifice and had released a book about dragon-shifters that had turned public opinion to their side. Many dragon hunters and lingering Dragon Knights would love nothing more than to hurt the female via her children. Since dragon hunters had stolen a baby from Stonefire once before, it was possible they would try again.

She half-expected Rafe to balk at the assignment, but her male merely nodded. “Nikki and I will talk with the others in charge. No child will be stolen on our watch.”

Her dragon spoke up.
Look at how fierce he is with protecting children not his own. He will make a good father.

Even though Nikki didn’t respond, she had to admit her beast was correct. Rafe’s tone told her he took this assignment as seriously as any other.

The longer she was around him, the more she started to see he had a softer side hidden beneath the alpha exterior.

“Right then,” Kai stated. “I know I said to take the day off, but you can spare twenty minutes later today. You two can meet with Aaron and the other Protectors this afternoon to plan for the twins’ celebration.”

Nikki had known Kai her whole life and couldn’t help but point out, “You’ve been leaning more and more on Aaron lately.”

“When I was mate-less, I had a lot more time. Out of necessity, I now have to lean on him so I can spend some time with my mate. It’s part of the reason I called him back from Italy.”

Jane poked Kai’s side. “You make it sound as if I take up all your time.”

“Not all of the time. But some of it.”

Uh oh.
Kai was digging a hole.
 

Since Kai probably had no idea since the truth was important to him, Nikki jumped in. “Considering Kai was a workaholic before, I say it’s a good change.”

With a frown, Kai looked down at Jane. “I never said it was a bad change. You are my heart and my life, Jane.”

Leaning her head against Kai’s shoulder, she gazed up at her dragonman. “I love you.”

As the two stared at one another, Nikki smiled. Even without being true mates, Kai and Jane were meant to be together. Fate had been wrong in this instance.

Stealing a glance at Rafe, she wondered if it had been correct in hers.
 

Kai kissed Jane and then waved a hand toward the door. “We’ll talk later. For now, leave so I can enjoy the day with my mate.”

As Kai and Jane shared a loving glance, Nikki hoped she’d have the same one day.

She blinked at that. Since when had she wanted to settle down?

Her beast merely chuckled at the back of her mind as Rafe tugged Nikki out of the room and exited the cottage.

~~~

Rafe couldn’t get out of Kai’s cottage fast enough. He definitely didn’t need to see Kai kissing Jane, or worse, feeling her up. Holding up his end of the temporary truce was going to be bloody difficult.

Nikki stopped walking, and he looked back at her face. “Is something wrong?”

She smiled. “I’m perfectly fine. But there’s something I want to show you.”

“Is it safe?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fairly safe, unless you piss her off.” Before he could ask her to explain, Nikki pulled him away from the cottages. “This way.”

Rafe followed. A few dragon-shifters scowled at him along the way, but Rafe didn’t pay them any attention. Rather than stand down, he kept Nikki’s hand tightly in his. Whenever a male looked their way, Rafe glared with everything he had. “Do you think everyone knows?”

“What, about the frenzy? I think so. News travels fast here.”

“Then the men should know not to let their gazes linger on you.”

The corner of Nikki’s mouth ticked up as she looked at him askance. “Is somebody jealous?”

“Yes.”

She blinked. “Wow, I didn’t expect you to be honest.”

“Why not? How else are you supposed to know the real me?”

Nikki turned them down a path between some trees. “Good point.”

The trees opened up to a large clearing, right at the base of a giant hill. “What are we doing here? I like sex outdoors as much as the next bloke, but it’s February and it’s bloody freezing.”

Releasing his hand, Nikki retreated backward, never breaking eye contact. “I want to show you my dragon.”

While Rafe had seen Nikki’s dragon from a distance, he’d never seen her shift. Did it mean she was starting to trust him more?

Not wanting to spook her, he fell back on his practical nature. “Is that safe to do even though you’re pregnant?” At the irritation in her eyes, he quickly added, “I’m not trying to be overly protective, but shifting into a dragon wasn’t exactly covered in that pamphlet Dr. Sid gave me. I have no idea.”

Relief flashed in her eyes. “Oh. Well, it’s fairly normal until late in the second trimester. The baby shifts with me, so in the first five months or so, it’s perfectly fine because I won’t go into labor unless it’s a rare circumstance. After that, it’s dangerous because if a female dragon-shifter goes into labor in dragon form, the baby could die.”

“Why?”

“Well, we must embrace our inner dragons to shift. But our inner dragons are born as babies, too, and don’t have the mental capacity to change shape and maintain it until around six or seven years old. If a child is born in dragon form, they won’t understand what is happening, so they will try to fly, and soon crash. Even if the baby dragon is contained, it may never shift into a human since it will most likely spend the first however many years as a dragon. Without the human side to rationalize and keep the dragon side in check, the child will eventually go insane.”

He grunted. “Then I don’t care how angry you get, from the fifth month onward, you’re staying in your human form. That’s an order.”

He half-expected fire to flash in her eyes before she changed her mind about showing him her dragon. But she smiled and surprised the hell out of him as she answered, “You are definitely one step above a dragonman in this instance. Most females aren’t allowed to shift after the first month or two.”

“And the female dragon-shifters just listen?”

She tilted her head. “It’s more of agreeing to prevent constant belly-aching and whining. Although, some female dragon-shifters will sneak away and shift when their mate is otherwise occupied. It’s sort of the worst-kept secret on Stonefire.”

“So the males think they’re getting their way, but then give the women some freedom without looking weak?”

“Exactly.”

Rafe shook his head. “I’m starting to understand just how difficult it must be for women dragon-shifters.” He winked. “It’s a good thing you lucked out and got a human.”

Nikki stuck out her tongue. “I’m not sure ‘lucked out’ is the correct phrase.” He glared, and Nikki laughed. “Okay, maybe it is a bit lucky. But can I shift now? Dragons don’t feel the cold as keenly as humans and I’d like to get started.”

“If it means I get to watch you strip naked first, then, by all means, start.”

“Rafe...what’s your middle name? I need something to mutter at particular times.”

“Daniel. My parents were rather old-fashioned in their name choices.”

“It’s better than being named after a famous inventor who fell in love with a pigeon.”

It took Rafe a second, but then he remembered where he’d heard the name. “Nikola Tesla?”

“The one and only. My dad had full naming rights and wanted to name me after two extraordinary people—Nikola Tesla and Helen Keller.”

“That’s a strange combination.”

Nikki shrugged. “It could’ve been worse. I could’ve been named Rafe.”

Before he could do so much as narrow his eyes, Nikki slipped off her coat and tossed it at him. Rafe caught it. “Undressing isn’t always going to distract me. But just this once, I’ll allow it.” Nikki answered by throwing one shoe at his head and then the other. Rafe dodged out of the way. “You’re going to have to try better than that, Nikki.”

Mischief danced in her eyes. “Oh, I’m saving my best moves for later.”

Off went her shirt and jeans. Rafe’s mind went blank as she wiggled out of her panties and bra. The faint sunlight shone down on Nikki’s naked body and his jaw dropped. He would definitely need to take her outside once it was warmer again.

“Stay back,” Nikki ordered before closing her eyes.
 

Her body glowed a faint purple before her torso stretched and covered in scales. Her arms and legs became forelimbs and hind legs. Talons extended from her fingers. Her nose and jaw elongated into a snout as a tail grew behind her.

In a matter of seconds, a thirteen- or fourteen-foot purple dragon stood in the clearing, with her wings extended behind her.

Carefully placing Nikki’s clothes down, he approached her. Nikki lowered her snout, and he gently touched her nose. The scales were smooth like hard leather, but with a slight glint to them. Meeting the large eye on his side, the brown color reminded him of Nikki’s eyes.

There was a question in her eye—
What do you think?

Rafe had seen Nikki in dragon-form from a distance, but never so close before. “You’re beautiful.”

She lightly bumped his chest and blew out air through her nostrils. He had a feeling she doubted his words. “I’m serious, Nikki. Not only are you majestic looking, but you’re pretty badass. Show me your teeth.”

If dragons could roll their eyes, Nikki’s expression told him she would. But a few seconds later, she opened her mouth. Trusting Nikki, he gently touched the sharp point of one and pricked his fingers.

With a curse, he put the finger to his mouth. The purple dragon chuckled before standing on her hind legs and extending her wings to their full span. She beat them once and Rafe landed on his arse. “I guess these are some of the moves you talked about?”

Swiping him up gently in one of her front paws and raising him to eye-level, she grinned.

He shook his head. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.” He looked over his shoulder. “It’s beautiful from this height, although I’m sure it’s even more so when you’re flying.”

Before he could take in the hills and lakes in the distance for more than a few seconds, Nikki jumped into the air and pumped her wings. His stomach dropped as she ascended into the sky. Only when she hovered in place did his stomach catch up with the rest of him and he found his voice. “You know I’m getting you back for that, right?”

Nikki motioned with her other front paw and turned him around. Rafe followed the direction with his eyes and sucked in a breath.

Streaks of sunlight danced off the nearest lake and mountains, creating a striped pattern of light and shadow on the ground. The cottages looked as if they were tiny dollhouses. Sure, Rafe had seen houses from a height inside an airplane. But with the wind blowing through his hair and nothing separating him from the view, the sight was magical.